Stage Directions, Entrances, and Exist
As requested by the CEO to prove my experience and skill set, I submitted a thirty-seven page curriculum vitae. No response. The deadline for my departure to Europe was perilously close.
One May morning after Jean Montgomery showed up to work on the library, she asked, “Do you really want to keep working for these people?” Crestfallen, I looked at her and said, “Not really.” I believed that the work was too important to walk away from at that point, having labored so hard on the museum exhibits, library collection, theatre space, scenery collection, stained glass window, interior designs, color palettes, and everything else. How could I just walk away from the project and abandon the artifacts, especially Thomas Moses’ paint sweater with the flower petals, the Scottish Rite paint cap, and his paint brush? The scenery would have no guarantee of proper handling, or even survival. It began to appear as if everything I had accomplished had been done in vain.
In addition to Jean’s daily counsel, I sought the advice of many theatre colleagues and Masonic scholars nationwide. I desperately wanted to make an informed decision and gather their respected opinions. Everyone who heard about the CEO’s comment regarding my lack of skills reflexively laughed out loud, and then immediately sobered up, asking “What?!? Are you serious?” This was followed by the general comment, “get out while you can.” In my heart I knew that if I continued working for the people who now ran the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, it would destroy my and crush my spirit.
By the end of May, I had I received no response from the CEO in terms of a meeting to discuss my qualifications as listed in my curriculum vitae, my job description, and flow chart. Taking Jean’s advice, I had resubmitted the original 2015 versions. She explained that it was my employer’s job to redefine my position within the organization or eliminate it, not mine, even if I were directed to do so. My identifying a new position and submitting it for acceptance was ultimately renegotiating for a new new job and could possibly jeopardize my stance with the unemployment office if it weren’t accepted. Then I would be out a job and out any unemployment insurance.
On May 25, I requested a meeting with the CEO for my annual review and to discuss any future position. One was scheduled for June 1 and then cancelled by the CEO. Although I was available to meet the following week before my departure, the CEO was very busy. I left to present my paper on Masonic theatre in Stockholm without any knowledge of my future at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.
I returned to Minnesota on June 22, just two days day before the Grand Opening. A friend from Chicago was coming into town for the event and I was to pick him up the afternoon of the June 23. That morning, I received an email from the CEO at 10:51AM stating, “I would like to meet with you in my office at 2:30 this afternoon (June 23). Please confirm.” No reason or context. “Well,” I thought with a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, “This could be it.” I then realized that I would have to pick my friend up on my way to the meeting. He would just have to wait in the lobby while I met with the CEO.
Once we arrived at the Masonic Home and entered the Minnesota Masonic Charities office hall, we encountered the executive administrative assistant. She explained that the CEO had just cancelled the meeting; she had personally just sent me an email. A half an hour earlier at 1:51PM, she had written, “Hi, Wendy! [The CEO] had several things come up with the Museum that he needs to deal with this afternoon so we won’t be able to meet with you. He would like to reschedule the meeting to Tuesday, June 28, at 2:30 pm.” I thought back to all of the late night and early morning texts from the CEO about various aspects of the project and was stunned that he couldn’t have texted me himself, knowing that I live almost thirty minutes away. My out-of-town friend summed up my thoughts immediately when he whispered, “Well, that was rude.” I agreed and we drove back to my house where I explained the whole saga over dinner and drinks.
My friend was a Masonic scholar who also had a background in theatre. We had known each other since he first volunteered for the St. Paul Scottish Rite Restoration Project in 2002, maintaining contact for over a decade. During the restoration project in St. Paul, a Scottish Rite member had hosted this young man. The young Mason was Paul Jacob Roberts and his Scottish Rite host was Jack Morehouse.
Here is where life becomes interesting and can circle back on itself. Jack Morehouse was currently one of only two volunteers at the Minnesota Masonic Historical Society and Museum and the other elderly volunteer was George Avis (a member of my husband’s Scottish Rite Class that spring).
It was at this museum in the basement of the Masonic Home where I selected all of the artifacts for the Exhibit. I had been pleasantly surprised at the time to reencounter Jack after almost fifteen years. You see, it was Jack and Larry Wert (then Secretary of St. Paul Valley) who had been the ones to feature me as guest speaker for the Feast of Tishri event, presenting on Scottish Rite scenery. During this event, I sat next to Peg and Jerry Oliver (current SGIG of Minnesota), meeting the couple for the first time and realizing that we had mutual friends in the Cambridge-Isanti area.
But back to the story at hand, Paul was excited to reconnect with Jack Morehouse and also to see my work at the complex; I had been posting process photos for over eighteen months depicting my various contributions to ongoing projects. Paul had also been the subject of a recent conversation with the William J. “Bill” Mollere (President of the Scottish Rite Research Society and Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Louisiana). Bill had asked me whether my travels had ever brought me into contact with a fascinating young man – Paul Jacob Roberts. Bill and Paul had recently chatted over lunch in Baton Rouge and Bill immediately thought of me because of Paul’s theatre training.
On a side note, my continued emails with Bill stemmed from my work at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite when I was removing the scenery with a rigging crew. One of the riggers was interested in joining the Fraternity and was fascinated with the symbolism and legends incorporated into Scottish Rite degree work. We chatted about a lot of Masonic history while we were working. After my return to Minnesota, I contacted Bill to see if he could touch base with this young man to discuss Masonic options as they were both from the same region.
At the time, Bill also mentioned my continued work as a Masonic scholar and newly appointed position as Curatorial Director for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. He ended one email, writing, “Please keep in touch and please continue protecting, collecting and maintaining some very valuable items that you obviously have been able to secure. How great that Minnesota Masons are thinking toward the future and finding the right person as Director. The very best to you.”
To be continued…
